The Insignificant Princess and the Choleric Fisherman
by SoftBasketVolley
Summary: Kaede was a fisherman from the slums of the luxurious Ruby City. Living one's life as a poor as dirt peasant can leave some people jaded. When a storm hits, Kaede is left with a kidnapped princess and a temper. They will have to help each other to return to their homes, but two hot-headed people don't match. Right? This story is completely OC. (Sorry, I'm bad at making summaries)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, new readers!**

 **So just a disclaimer, but this is not a story that has anything to do with Bleach (haha sorry). I just had this idea and I couldn't let it slip out of my mind. I promise that this will be good.** **¯\\_๏ᴥ๏_/¯**

 **Everything here is OC. I tried to make the time period during the Edo period in Japan. I'm not good at keeping to the history, so I made up everything. (sorry not sorry)**

 **Enjoy Fam!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

Kaede remembered the feeling of disgust when he saw the noble family make their monthly walk of the village. Yes, monthly. That family did nothing for the peasant families of Ruby City. Ruby City was the capital of these lands. It was named for the beautiful ruby color that the leaves took on during the fall. It was a luxurious city, for the most part. The main parts of the city were paved with stone and the buildings were lively. Some were tall with elegant curved roofs, some were simply shops which sold things like dumplings or knick-knacks for travelers, and some were home to the wild nightlife of the city.

The family was guarded by large samurai hired to protect them. The King was a burly man with short, graying brown hair that stuck up. His features were sharp and hardened. He had long sideburns and a growing beard on his chin. He wore an expensive green kimono with dragons flying around. His box-like hat was green like his kimono. This man's name was Isamu Takahashi and he was the powerful sovereign of the land. His wife died a few years ago which hardened his emotions. He had one son and two daughters and no forgiveness.

Kaede Okimasa watched the procession from an alleyway. They always pasted this part of town first. Who knows why? Perhaps the royalty wanted to see the worst of the village first. Well, they really didn't pay much attention at all. The children of the King seemed horrified to even be in this part of town. They must dislike the smell and the dirt paths. Maybe it was the wooden shacks or the constant movement of livestock. In the nicer parts, it was mostly people, rickshaws, and nicer carriages that were moving around the streets.

The people were supposed to pay respects to the royalty, but Kaede had other plans. He would rather die than pay respect to those jerks. They never cared for the peasants. They left them to rot by the riverside. Kaede scratched his short, light brown hair that was held out off his face by a green bandana that left a bit of hair to fall in between his eyes.

Kaede strolled away from the spectacle and headed to his home by the river. His home was average compared to the others. His family came from a long line of fishermen. Poor fishermen. He opened the straw door to see his humble family.

"Hello, I've returned from the market." Kaede placed the bag on the wooden table that stood in the center of the room. "The price of bread has increased again. I could only buy us two loaves," Kaede said sadly.

His father, Toru Okimasa, scoffed lightly. His long brown hair was tied in a low ponytail under his straw hat. His wrinkling face turned to a light smile. "Well, you know what that means, Kaede my boy. It's time to get fishin'," Toru stated while rising from his sitting position. He stood up and wobbled toward his crutch.

Kaede placed a hand on his father's shoulder. "Dad, stop. You are injured. Let me handle the fishing," he told him.

"Toru, let Kaede do this for you. It's time for you to hang up the nets," said Kaede's mother, Kazuko Okimasa. She was a lovely lady in her youth. Time has changed her from her green eyes to her raven hair. Kazuko has well known to be a kind and loving mother to her two children.

"Kaede!" shouted a feminine voice. In came in Kaede's little sister, Suzu Okimasa. She was an unruly girl of fourteen. Her curly auburn hair waved behind her as she ran. Kaede hugged his beloved little sister. Suzu was a cunning girl. Too sharp for her own good.

"Hey! Suzu, I have to go to the river. I'll see you when I get home," he told her. She nodded because it was a common occurrence for Kaede to head out. "Goodbye! Love you!" he said while leaving the hut.

Kaede walked down the riverside to reach the port. He sighed and straightened his old kimono top. He wore a purple kimono top that left his muscular chest open for the world to see. On top, he wore a looser black kimono top with a white trim with waves on it. His black pants led to his black boots for fishing. The tops were sleeveless to show his muscular arms.

He could still hear the royalty taking their walk. Kaede couldn't believe that they were still prancing. He felt a tug on his shirt and he turned around to see Suzu.

"Suzu, why are you following me?" Kaede asked in a bored tone.

"I want to see the royalty," she shyly said. Kaede's eye twitched. Although Kaede was a relatively nice person, he had a real mean streak for rice people. He hated how they think that they are the most important in the lands.

"I've already seen them. Can't you wait until next month," he growled. Suzu shuffled and kicked the dirt around her sandals.

"I want to see the prince and princesses. Just because you don't like them doesn't mean I can't. Just stand there with me," Suzu grumbled. Her arms were crossed and she turned her head. When she sulked like that, Kaede could hardly say no.

"Fine. Only for a lit-" he started to say but was cut off by his sister dragging him through the streets to find the King and his family.

Suddenly, they were in a more nice area waiting for the royal family to walk by. Kaede couldn't believe that they are celebrated for simply walking. It's like they are asking or praise. They surely didn't seem like they were concerned for the people.

First, you could see the King and his soldiers. Kaede never paid much attention to the children of the King. This must have been the first time that Kaede and Suzu had seen them in awhile. The son of the King, Akihiro Takahashi, walked behind his father. Like his father, Akihiro was tall with shoulder length brown hair. Akihiro was trained to be a warrior, so he was covered with scars and wore armor. One distinctive trait of the twenty-seven-year-old was his eyepatch on his right eye. Manami Takahashi was the twenty-two-year-old daughter of Isamu. Her beauty was a true sight to behold. Of course, Kaede couldn't care less about her. She had pale skin like snow and black hair while striking blue eyes. She wore a green kimono with what looked like real gems on it and some gems seemed to be in her updo.

What was surprising was the girl behind the beauty. She had to be the youngest daughter because of how she was dressed. She wore a pale pink kimono with ruby-like ornaments in her hair. Her hair was brown and it was in a bun with strands falling out in the back like a ponytail. Her chocolate brown hair framed her face. She was much more petite compared to her siblings. Her eyes were glued forward, but one could tell that they were brown. What was strange was that no one seemed to notice her. Kaede didn't even know her name or age.

Once they passed Kaede rolled his green eyes and nudged Suzu. "Are you satisfied? I need to head out to the river," Kaede told his smart little sister.

"That's fine. I'm going to buy some dumplings," she said. Kaede turned his head in surprise.

"And how are you going to pay for that, silly sister," chuckled. Suzu smiled slyly and pulled two big bags of coins. Kaede understood all of her actions. She didn't want to see the royal family. She wanted to steal money.

"You sly fox," he praised as she dropped one bag in his hand. He hid it in one of his pockets and let her go off to her adventure.

Kaede finally headed to the port and got on the small boat. The waters were choppy and wild. Today isn't ideal to fish, but he must do it. He pulled out a paddle and headed into deeper waters. Kaede was lucky that he didn't have sea sickness because the water had a mind of its own.

"Hey, you!" shouted a familiar voice. Kaede smiled and waved at his good friend, Noboru Tsuji. Noboru was a peasant like Kaede, but he was to fight to be a soldier. Noboru looked like a mysterious man, but he was actually quite the charmer. He wore his red-black hair in a low ponytail. He had a scar running down his eyebrow.

His red eyes glared at Kaede playfully. Noboru was sitting on a branch of a tree relaxing. He wore a war tattered kimono. Noburo was built lean and muscular like Kaede. "Noburo! How are you my friend?" he called back.

"Eh.. so-so… I'm quite popular with the ladies over in East Village. What do you expect?" he chuckled.

"Nothing more, I suppose," Kaede said while continuing his journey. Noboru groaned and waved.

"By the way!" Noboru shouted which caused me to turn around. "I bet you could be just as popular if you weren't so vulgar all the time!"

A vein popped on Kaede's head as he screamed back, "Shut up you piece of shit for a friend!" Noboru simply laughed at his embarrassed friend. Noboru and Kaede practically grew up together. The were brothers. Noboru grew up as an orphan and often hung around Kaede. All of Kaede's bad habits could be traced back to Noboru. It was true that Kaede could be popular. Kaede was a young man of eighteen. He was handsome, but he was too jaded for it to matter for a peasant boy.

After reaching a point where he couldn't see the town anymore, Kaede grabbed a net and tossed it into the water. Fishing in those waters was hard. It was much easier to catch fish with a net because of the increased area.

Kaede was not having any luck that day. He started to gnaw on a hard piece of bread that he stole. He was near a shoreline that was parallel to a path to a different city. Kaede even leaned back and fell asleep. For too long…

He awoke to high winds and cold rain. He was nowhere near where he remembered. The rain started to intensify. The rain pelted him with the ice cold rain droplets the size of cut carrots.

"Ugh! I can't see," he grunted to himself while covering his eyes so he could have the possibility to see. He gritted his teeth. He was beyond pissed. First, he had to deal with the royal family and now he has to deal with this storm.

"Damn it! Stupid royals! They made me going out today! Now look where I am! I'm stuck on a goddamn boat!" he shouted to himself and he tried to stabilize the boat with the little paddle. Soon the boat capsized and crashed.

Kaede's body hit the freshwater and was caught under the current. Without catching air, Kaede gasped only to get air. He propelled himself out of the water and luckily found the edge of the river. Kaede coughed out the water and found sweet air. He scurried out of the water and looked for his family's boat.

Kaede wiped hair from his soaked face and sighed. The boat was gone. What was he gonna tell his father? Mother? Suzu would probably scold me for being an idiot. He stood up and found a path towards Ruby City.

Wet and miserable, a ticked off Kaede tried his best to keep his calm. A scowl was plastered on his face. He kept his eyes to the ground. Suddenly, a loud scream came from in front of me.

I snapped my head up to see two men carrying away a struggling girl. The two men were burly and the girl was small compared to them. The girl was thrashing and hitting the men. They both had to hold her down to move her.

"Hey! Let her go!" Kaede shouted. The men turned to look at him and turned to look back at each other. Kaede realized that he was in trouble as one of them ran towards him. The man was quick and much stronger than expected. He grabbed and gagged Kaede before there could be any aggression. Kaede wasn't going to let them take him that quickly. Like the girl, he struggled against the men.

Only to get himself knocked out.

* * *

 **So, what to ya think?**

 **Remember to review!**

 **I'll try to be another chapter out this week.**

 **Peace**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hiya!**

 **So I was able to do a chapter here. I might be able to get another one in before school starts on Monday. Who knows?**

 **(They had been asleep for a long time in a carriage. That might be some important information that I forgot to add into the story)**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

"We got the wrong one," said a voice that wasn't recognizable to Kaede. He was in some dark place. He placed a hand on his head and winced in pain. That must have been how he was knocked out. He was still gagged and tied up with rope.

"Dammit! Whadda we do?" said another voice. This man's voice was more ragged and rough, almost if he were a smoker.

"Leave them. They won't know what to do," the first voice chuckled. Kaede heard the breaking of branches become softer and softer, leading to nothing. All he heard was the wilderness. Kaede split out the gag and sat in the darkness. He must have sat for twenty minutes until he noticed the fabric rubbing his skin. A bag!

Kaede wiggled out and light hit his eyes for the first time in a while. He was in the forest, but why? He couldn't remember a thing. It was blissful. It was reliving. It was the calmest he had been in days. He took a breath of the musty forest smell and smiled.

"Gee, it sure took you a long time to come to senses."

His smile turned to his trademark scowl. He remembered. He remembered everything. He remembered the storm. He remembered the pure agitation of this whole situation.

Kaede turned his sitting body and grumbled, "Who are you?" In front of him sat a young lady sitting on a stump looking just as pissed as he was.

She turned her head and made a sound like 'hmph'. Kaede grit his teeth at her mere reaction. The girl was small, or petite to put it into correct terminology. Her hair was brown and it was in a bun with strands falling out in the back like a ponytail. Her chocolate brown hair framed her face. She looked dirty and her kimono was ripped and practically falling to pieces. Kaede couldn't tell the color of the kimono because it was stained completely. What was strange were the two chopstick-like ornaments in her bun. They had two ruby-like beads on the top of the stick. Her chocolate brown eyes glared at him like he was a criminal.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" the girl snapped.

"Because you aren't answering my question. Jeez, it's not that hard. Here, I'll go first. I'm Kaede Okimasa, a fisherman from Ruby City. Would you please untie me?" he answered rudely.

The girl simply looked at him and refused to talk.

"What is it? Do you want my age? I'm eighteen. Much like you, I'm sure!" he snapped, almost yelling.

She looked horrified. "I don't talk to peasants," she answered. A smug smile formed on her face. The girl had always wanted to say a thing like that. Today was the day that she could finally say it.

"Well, you already are, so you might as well just talk to me."

Her eyes widened and her smile fell. He got her! A stupid peasant called her out on something she said.

"Fine. I am Erika of the Takahashi family. Youngest daughter of the King, Isamu Takahashi. Princess of Ruby City," she announced proudly.

"Never heard of Erika Takahashi." Kaede kept a straight face. Royalty? Seriously? Why him? He couldn't believe that he could be left with some brat. She looked like a brat. Her face had a proud look to it. Annoying…

"Wha-? How could you not know of me? I've only been in this world for eighteen years! The same as you!" Erika shouted.

"Royalty and their pride. You know? I think I have seen you before if it makes you feel better," Kaede laughed, realizing the ropes were loose. He shook them off and stood to full height. Erika did the same. Kaede started to laugh even harder.

"What's so funny?" Erika seethed.

"You are so short and you act all superior. It's funny, short stuff." Kaede was quite tall compared to her. He turned to a path and walked away.

"Where are you going, peasant?!"

"Away from you. I'm heading into the nearest town."

Erika started to panic. She didn't know where she was and she had never been in a forest alone like this. There was no way that she would be left like this. If anything, she would be leaving the peasant fisherman.

"Stop!" she ordered. Kaede stopped and turned to look at her. "I order you to return me to my castle!"

"Hmmm… No." Kaede turned around and continued to walk. "I'll give you something luxurious in return for your kindness or some form of it. A boat? Food? I heard peasants like food. What about simply money. You can bathe in it," she continued while following him.

He whipped around and made a sound of annoyance. "Fine. We have a deal," Kaede grumbled. Erika looked pleased and walked ahead on him on the path. This shouldn't be too hard. I was only asleep for maybe a day. We are probably pretty close to the city.

* * *

"S-Stonemark Town!?"

"Yes, sir. I've lived here for my entire life," said the old lady they asked in the town.

Stonemark Town was a quiet little town with few residents and few tourists. It was probably because of how rural the city was compared to others in the land. Stonemark Town was a farmer country. They mainly sold crops and equipment for crops. The homes were humble little wooden huts. To Kaede, they were nice.

"Thank you, ma'am," Kaede answered. He walked away and ran a hand through his hair. Erika stepped in front of him and snapped him out of his daze.

"What does that mean? I know we are quite far away but how long will the travel be," Erika asked. Her ripped kimono hung low on her shoulders. She pulled out a waterlogged paper fan.

"It means that we will have to travel about three weeks to return to Ruby City. I think we should follow that path at leads to a nearby town called Kantra Town. I believe we can spend the night there," he answered.

"Hmm… Well… What are you waiting for peasant? Lead the way," she ordered.

"You are so bossy," Kaede mumbled to himself. Erika obviously heard that and turned her head from him.

The trail was dusty and hot. Erika's dirty, fancy kimono was dragging and causing her more trouble that it was worth. She used her ruined fan to fan her hot body. The fan was fancy, or at least it used to be. The fan was lavender with purple flowers on it with what looked like intricate designs when it was new.

"I need a new kimono if we are to travel together," she told me for the third time.

"Erika, I heard you. When we get there you can buy one and buy and new fan, too. It's a pitiful trinket really."

Erika grabbed his kimono and pulled him around. For such a small thing, she was pretty strong. "This is not a trinket," she said with anger, holding up the fan. She pushed him forward and continued, "I'll have you know that it was a gift from someone important in my life. It can't simply be replaced by anyone. This is ruined fan is still more valuable that you'll ever be."

She was lucky that he was brought up to have manners or he would hit her. "At least I'm not a waste of space wannabe princess who thinks she has authority over people," he fought back. Her eyes narrowed at him. Kaede smiled. He obviously struck a cord. She paused for a moment and walked past him.

"It's too hot out here for fighting." Kaede was shocked. He would have guessed that she wouldn't have a lot of fighting spirit. Erika walked in front of him the entire way. She didn't even glance back at him. Kaede didn't feel bad at all. Royalty like her deserved it. Serves her right.

The sun started to fall and bright, orange light fell across the land. Erika was already sick of this guy. Her family had to be looking for her, so she wouldn't have to spend too much time with the peasant. Maybe he would forget about the deal and return to his peasant life. Erika would rather let her brother find her instead of travelling with a rude fish boy.

What were the odds that she would find the one person in the land who hated her guts. In her opinion, Kaede was very attractive, but he was way too rude.

Erika stopped in her tracks. There it was, Kantra Town. Unlike Stonemark Town, Kantra Town was bustling with merchants. The streets were lit and the sound of music could be heard from restaurants. Erika smiled widely and ran into the crowd of people. Kaede just scoffed and let her run. Who cares if she gets lost?

Kaede continued to look for an inn while Erika was probably looking for a kimono or something. This town was twisty and awfully confusing. He acquired the information that there was only one inn in the entire town. This took him several minutes to find the inn. Kaede finally found the friendly innkeeper with a toothy grin.

"Hello, I'm a distant traveller and I don't know the land. Do you happen to have a map of the entire area?" Kaede politely asked the sweet, elderly lady.

"Why, I happen to be holding one right now, young man." She handed Kaede the old map and asked, "Would you be needing a room for the night?"

"Yes, a room for one."

"Two, actually."

Kaede turned around to see a new person or a new Erika. She wasn't dirty or wearing a ripped kimono. Her smile was smug and full of life. Her kimono was a rosy pink with a darker shade for the trim. A light pink bow was tied around her waist. On the bottom of the kimono and the sleeves were peach colored flowers. The kimono was shorter and showed the bottom of her calf and sandals. Erika walked up to to the innkeeper and smiled charmingly.

"Oh my… Is this lovely young lady with you?" the innkeeper asked.

"Uh… yes… in a way," Kaede awkwardly answered while scratching his head. Where did this confidence come from? It was the same small fry. The lady handed Erika a key and showed us to our room.

The room was small with two futons on the floor. Erika thanked the innkeeper and collapsed on a futon. She stretched her arms and legs.

"Don't I look wonderful in this new kimono?" she asked him.

"Um, I suppose it's better than that dirty piece of cloth you were wearing earlier."

She puffed out her cheeks in annoyance and grumbled to herself. Something about how peasants could never understand style. Kaede reached into his kimono and found the money that Suzu gave him last time he saw her.

"I'm going to get something to eat. You can stay here," Kaede stood her.

"What kind of food are you getting?" Erika asked. She stood up and was ready to follow him. He pushed her back and scowled. "It doesn't matter because I'm not getting you anything. I'm not your slave," he grumbled.

Erika's excited face turned angry. Actually, furious. "You ass! Remember the deal! I recommend that you come back with food for me!" Erika shouted.

Kaede lowered himself to eye level and told her, "If you want food, you have to come with me, you narcissistic broad."

"Fish boy," she spat back.

He placed a hand to his heart and faked a recoil. "Ah! You really hit my heart there," he joked at her. Erika's lips almost cracked into a smile. She pushed past him and locked the door, so she could head out to the streets.

"What are we going to get?" asked Erika.

"Tempura."

"Wait, wait, wait. Tempura? What about pork buns?"

Kaede stopped and rolled his eyes. "Last time I checked, _you_ are following _me_. We are getting tempura whether you like it or not," Kaede scolded. They stopped in the middle of a busy street to stare each other down. People were trying to get around the furious travellers.

"Listen, you little trawler, I'm the royalty here," Erika said while poking at him with her finger. "You can do what you want. I'm getting pork buns. I'll be at the inn if you need me," she finished.

She turned her body to walk away when Kaede felt the need to say, "Whatever, _your highness_. I'd be better off without you. Hell, anyone would be better without you. Does anyone even know who you are? You get on my nerves. I don't think anyone has pissed me off as much as you have, your _fucking_ highness."

Erika turned around with a fire in her eyes. She grabbed Kaede by his kimono and threw him back against the wall. She raised herself as much as she could with her tiptoes and yelled, "You ignorant bastard! Don't you ever talk that way to me again! Know your goddamn place!" She spat in his face and stormed away, effectively gaining the attention of everyone.

Kaede was shocked, to say the least. That girl scared the living daylight out of him at that moment. She even knocked the wind out of him. He sat there panting and wiped the spit off of his cheek. No one had ever stood up to him like that. Kaede was even shaking a little.

When Kaede was little, he and Noboru used to terrorize everyone. Many said that Kaede was the most disrespectful boy they had ever met. Of course, he was never rude to his family because they were the only people he liked. Noboru was the only friend he had. Many were too scared to go near him because of his bully attitude. He even used to beat up other boys who got on his nerves, which was every other boy.

He had never seen anyone look that pissed before. Her eyes were so intense. She just gained some respect from him. Just a little, though.

He still hated her with all of his heart.

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 **Can I get a review? Pretty, pretty please?** **⎝T⍊T⎠**


	3. Chapter 3

**Long time no see! I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while. School is making it hard. Expect an update for Hellomeetcha! soon. I am going to start aiming for an update as soon as possible at this point.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Waking up next to that tyrant was hell on earth. She was still pissed from last night. She woke him up at the crack of dawn just for some dumb reason, claiming that she thought she saw someone in the window. "You're a crazy broad. We might as well go to the next town," Kaede spat at her while opening the door.

"I seriously SAW something," she responded while closing her eyes. Her futon was as far away from Kaede's as possible. Erika refused to talk to him for a few hours after going off last night.

"So, you're finally talking to me, huh?" he joked while stretching his aching muscles. He cracked one eye to see a pouting princess. Her mouth was forced into a frown while her eyes were glued to the cracked wall next to her.

"The next town is East Town, right?" she uncomfortably asked, while rubbing her arms.

"Yes, it's actually quite close compared to the other places. It'll take us ten minutes through a grove to get there. East Town is actually a popular place for the King's soldiers to train. We might see a guard who can help you," Kaede told her.

"Me? You need just as much help, you toad," she spat back. Kaede laughed, "Toad? Really?"

Kantra Town was quiet that morning. One could only hear the chatter of the livestock behind the buildings. They silently down the path. Erika fanned herself with that awful fan while Kaede stuck his hands inside his kimono. The smell of dew was strong and the breeze was soft. It was brisk that morning without the full glory of the sun. The sun was orange and softly peeking over the trees.

"It looks like it's going to be a great day," Erika said into her fan.

"Who knew that royalty could tell a good day from a bad? I thought that they were emotionless crooks," said Kaede with a smug smile.

"You know, it might be easier to handle this trip if you hold back from those remarks."

"Aw, but it makes it more fun."

Erika snorted. She decided to keep her eyes glued to the ground in front of her. It had been a day and she already wanted to wring his neck. She wondered if he had a nice bone in his body.

"Do you have a family?" she asked softly.

Kaede looked taken aback. His eyes narrowed. Too many thoughts went through his head. _Why is she asking? Does she even care? Why should I tell a royal about myself?_ Kaede's gait grew larger as he passed Erika, leaving her in a puff of dust.

"Fine. It doesn't matter anyway," she hissed.

"What does that mean?" Kaede grumbled at her.

"It means that I don't care anymore."

"So, you did care for a moment."

"I suppose, but you lost your chance," she said calmly. Her eyes flickered to a sign and a smile erupted. "It's East City!" she shouted.

"Yay, tell everyone, you loudmouthed broad," Kaede said in the most unenthusiastic tone. She pushed him with her hand and ran towards the taller buildings in the distance.

East City was one of the four big cities in the land. East City was famous for the weapons crafted there. This made East City a popular destination for the King's army. That meant that Noboru could be near.

East City was paved and lit with lanterns at night. Erika's eyes sparkled with amazement. East City's buildings were all different shades of green. Some were juniper, sage, and olive while others were pear, fern, and seafoam.

"Kaede, look!" Erika shouted while looking at merchandise in tents nearby. Her hands were on her cheeks while she smiled wider than Kaede had ever seen before. Erika was lost in the fine pottery and crafts. Each pot was different. Some were tall, some were wide, and some seemed to have all the colors of the rainbow.

"You look like you've never seen an artisan's market before," said Kaede. Erika didn't even turn her head to acknowledge him. Her slender fingers grazed the smooth sides.

"I guess not. I don't get to spend much time outside the palace. Sure, the palace holds a collection of marvelous pieces of art but nothing like this," Erika whispered softly while brushing the delicate art. She reached out to pick up the pot, but Kaede grabbed her wrist. His strong grip pulled her around to face him.

"Don't," Kaede snarled, lowering his face her hers. Erika's eyebrows furrowed as she yanked her wrist out.

Erika stormed off and pulled out her fan. Kaede followed a few paces behind her, curiously watching her reaction towards the market. Kaede honestly didn't trust her not to break anything. She probably didn't know the value of such items.

"Kaede!" shouted a familiar voice.

Kaede lazily turned around to see Noboru. It made sense that Noboru was in East City because the soldiers travel much faster than normal civilians would. The soldiers travel at least three times faster than the pace Erika and Kaede would be going.

"Noboru! It's great to see you!" Kaede called.

Noboru nonchalantly walked towards Kaede with a smile. "What brings you here?" Noboru asked.

"It's a long story, but my boat got caught in a storm and it capsized. I tried to head back home, but I witnessed a kidnapping. I was knocked out and I woke up with one of the princesses in a forest near Stonemark Town."

Noboru seemed shocked. "And where is this princess?"

"Kaede! Get a move on, you bovine human!" screeched Erika on cue.

Kaede smiled at her creative insult and said, "Right here."

Erika stomped right up and poked her fan on Kaede's bare chest. "I would like to return home any decade. What is so important that you-?" Erika stopped herself to look Noboru up and down. It seemed like his presence was able to stop her diatribe.

"You must be the princess. Your name?" suavely said Noboru. Erika's face turned red and she turned stiff.

"E-Erika Takahashi. And who might you be?"

Noboru grabbed her hand and kissed it, causing Erika to swoon. Noboru was a natural debonaire. "Noboru Tsuji."

Kaede grew suddenly uncomfortable with the tension between Noboru and Erika. He let out a soft cough which made them jump apart. "Noboru, I need to get a sword for our journey. We can't walk around unarmed. Will you walk with me to that tent? Erika, say here," asked Kaede.

"R-roger," she stuttered.

They walked towards the swordsmith's tent. The man's name was Seiryo Arai. He was a quiet elderly man with weak looking body. He didn't seem like he could even make a sword let alone hold a hammer. He nodded towards them as they started looking at the swords.

"Princess Erika, huh? I've never heard of her, but she is a sight to behold," Noboru said while judging a blade. "She's pretty. You should let me join this little sojourn you guys have here."

Kaede didn't look up. "No, you have to train. Besides, she is a pain in the ass. You wouldn't like her".

"Now _that_ is something I didn't think I'd ever hear you say. You never care about who I pursuit. Remember three years ago? Chizuru Koda? You and Chizuru were really close and you didn't care when she and I started a relationship. What makes Erika different?"

A smile crept on Kaede's face. "She's a dumb broad."

Kaede picked up a sword with a sky blue handle. The scabbard was dark blue with a sky blue ribbon tied in a knot around it.

"This is the one and it's relatively cheap," said Kaede

"Why do you always pick the cheapest thing for yourself?"

Kaede paid for the sword and headed towards Erika. Erika happened to be ogling some fans that were on display. Kaede slipped the sword on his belt and placed a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and smacked Kaede in the face with her fan.

"Damn Kaede! Don't do that!" she shouted.

"Sorry… God that hurt… For that ugly of a fan, it's quite the weapon."

That earned him another smack.

* * *

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